1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 25–27 March 1988 at the Suzuka Circuit.

  1988 Japanese Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 15 races in the
1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date27 March 1988
Official nameGrand Prix of Japan[1]
LocationSuzuka Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 5.864 km (3.644 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Tadahiko Taira Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider Kevin Schwantz Suzuki
Podium
First Kevin Schwantz Suzuki
Second Wayne Gardner Honda
Third Eddie Lawson Yamaha
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Toshihiko Honma Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider Sito Pons Honda
Podium
First Anton Mang Honda
Second Sito Pons Honda
Third Masaru Kobayashi Honda

500 cc race report

Tadahiko Taira was on pole of the 5-column grid (it became 4-columns in 1990). Wayne Rainey got the start and lead through the first turns, with Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Christian Sarron behind. Schwantz took the inside of the hairpin, but Rainey dove back under and got him back on the exit; Schwantz succeeded in taking the lead on Spoon.

At the end of the 1st lap, it was Schwantz and Gardner, then a gap to Toshihiko Honma (riding #46) and Sarron. Gardner and Schwantz swapped the lead many times.

Eddie Lawson and Niall Mackenzie moved through the field to 3rd and 4th. Norihiko Fujiwara lowsided at the hairpin.

On the last lap Gardner ran off the track and stayed on, but lost any chance of winning the race.

500 cc classification
Pos. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki 50:03.750 20
2 Wayne Gardner Rothmans Honda Team Honda +8.384 17
3 Eddie Lawson Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha +12.724 15
4 Niall Mackenzie Team HRC Honda +15.785 13
5 Tadahiko Taira Tech 21 Yamaha +36.383 11
6 Wayne Rainey Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha +42.070 10
7 Kevin Magee Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha +42.179 9
8 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 Yamaha +45.186 8
9 Didier de Radiguès Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha +1:01.213 7
10 Shunji Yatsushiro Rothmans Honda Team Honda +1:10.228 6
11 Hikaru Miyagi Team HRC Honda +1:16.201 5
12 Ron Haslam Team ROC Elf Honda Elf Honda +1:20.045 4
13 Patrick Igoa Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 Yamaha +1:29.535 3
14 Pierfrancesco Chili HB Honda Gallina Team Honda +1:38.989 2
15 Osamu Hiwatashi Suzuki Japan Suzuki +1:42.545 1
16 Shinji Katayama Yamaha +1:43.611
17 Masaru Mizutani Suzuki +2:04.446
18 Keiji Kinoshita Honda +1 Lap
19 Alessandro Valesi Team Iberia Honda +1 Lap
Ret Raymond Roche Cagiva Corse Cagiva Retirement
Ret Rob McElnea Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki Retirement
Ret Katunori Shinozaki Suzuki Retirement
Ret Norihiko Fujiwara Lucky Strike Yamaha Yamaha Retirement
Ret Randy Mamola Cagiva Corse Cagiva Retirement
Ret Hisashi Yamana Suzuki Retirement
Ret Marco Gentile Fior Marlboro Fior Retirement
Ret Manfred Fischer Team Hein Gericke Honda Retirement
DNS Fabio Barchitta Racing Team Katayama Honda Did not start
DNQ Kunio Machii Honda Yamaha
Sources: [2][3]

References
  1. "Alle Grand-Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden, van 1973 (het jaar dat Jack begon met racen) tot heden". Archive.li. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  2. "1988 Japanese MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". Motorsportmagazine.com. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  3. "JAPANESE GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1988". Motogp.com. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
Previous race:
1987 Argentine Grand Prix		 FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1988 season		 Next race:
1988 United States Grand Prix
Previous race:
1987 Japanese Grand Prix		 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Next race:
1989 Japanese Grand Prix
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